Make Your Point: ASTUTE

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pronounce ASTUTE:

uh STOOT

connect this word to others:

Astute traces back to the Latin word astus, "crafty or cunning," and possibly further back to the Greek asty, "town," with the idea being that people living in crowded towns had to be crafty and cautious. Probably to avoid being pickpocketed, or otherwise taken for a ride.

(Source)

A similar idea underlies the word urb___, meaning "sophisticated, as if from a densely populated area." Can you recall it?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

For centuries in English, continuing to today, "astute" has meant "wary, cautious, wily, shrewd: aware of the situation, and looking out for your own interest."

In other words, astute people are quick to notice everything, and too smart to be tricked. And astute things, like comments, are smart, keen, observant, and practical.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an astute comment;" "The comment was astute."

Other forms:

The adverb is "astutely," and the noun, "astuteness."

how to use it:

Pick the common, formal, positive word "astute" when you want to praise someone's intelligence and foresight.

You might talk about astute people, like astute students, journalists, or observers. Or talk about people's astute comments, observations, discoveries, descriptions, or interpretations. Or talk about people being astute at certain things: "He's astute at foreseeing problems;" "She's astute at reading the room."

Because its sound and meaning is so sharp and punchy, "astute" is also perfect for sarcasm. Here's Kate DiCamillo's character Roscuro: "I am exactly that. A rat. Allow me to congratulate you on your very astute powers of observation."

examples:

"[The novelist Susan Choi] equally astute at portraying the exaggerated passions of teenage life and the way that youthful energy warps the fabric of reality."
— Ron Charles, Washington Post, 4 April 2019

"Many [physicians] share a belief that AI holds a worthwhile promise of making doctors more clinically astute and more efficient. The technology would be a paradigm shift, for an overworked lot, that glitters with appeal."
— Arjun V.K. Sharma, Undark, 30 May 2024

has this page helped you understand "astute"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "astute" without saying "sharp" or "intelligent."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(At some point in a story or in real life), astute (listeners, viewers, readers, or citizens) realized (something interesting and subtle)."

Example 1: "As Data gets more screen time, astute viewers realize that he never uses contractions when he speaks."

Example 2: "Sutherland was all over the place during the 1950s, singing lighter lyric Mozart roles like the Countess in 'The Marriage of Figaro' and heavier Verdi roles like Amelia in 'Un Ballo in Maschera.' Even then, astute listeners realized that she was en route to becoming something extraordinary. "
— Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, 12 October 2010

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April: Word Choice Chuckles!

I'll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with a word or phrase removed. See if you can fill one in that'll give the reader a chuckle. (Here are some examples.) Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Try this one today:

"A _____ legal landscape means people can get high on hemp products, even where pot is prohibited."
— Katharine Neill Harris, The Conversation, 25 February 2025

Meaning of the missing word: "ambiguous."

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. Opposites of ASTUTE include

A. OBTUSE and GULLIBLE.
B. ANGRY and COMBUSTIBLE.
C. LIKELY and OSTENSIBLE.

2. Jennifer Reese describes the novel The Teleportation Accident as "overstuffed with astute social observations." I agree, and point to this as an example: "_____."

A. the only thing left to pray for was that nobody in the audience arrived with a dog bigger than a child or a pistol bigger than an upholstery hammer
B. the entire bejewelled elite of Paris... [greeted] each other with hand-kissings so formalised and ostentatious they were like miniature ballets in themselves
C. after a few hours backstage your clothes and hair were... so thick with paint flakes, dust clumps, loose threads, cushion stuffing... that you felt like a veal cutlet rolled in breadcrumbs

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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